CNN
—
An Israeli strike in Gaza which killed seven aid workers for the nonprofit World Central Kitchen sparked fury and outrage at the White House, prompting President Joe Biden to issue a public statement Tuesday using a word he has rarely invoked during a conflict filled with endless tragedy: “Outraged.”
The deaths of workers trying to deliver food to starving civilians in the besieged enclave – including one with dual US-Canadian citizenship – took the frustration of Biden and his top officials to a new level, CNN told CNN a senior administration official.
Biden’s statement Tuesday evening, lamenting the deaths of the seven workers, included some of the most heated and direct remarks from the president since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October. He explicitly criticized Israel for failing to protect aid workers and civilians, and said: “Incidents like yesterday simply should not happen. »
The strike by World Central Kitchen workers was a “remarkable incident” as far as the Biden White House is concerned, the official said, causing serious consternation and concern in what was already a moment of high tensions between the United States and Israel. Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to speak on Thursday, according to a US official.
But the administration on Wednesday reiterated its support for Israel’s war against Hamas, while warning that it is not doing enough to protect civilians in the Palestinian enclave.
“Of course we want to see them do things differently to avoid civilian casualties. Absolutely. And that’s an ongoing conversation that we’ve had with them for many months,” said John Kirby, a White House National Security Council spokesman. “In terms of being more precise, more targeted, more careful.”
He continued: “We have and will continue to talk to them about how to do things differently, how to do things more efficiently, how to do things safer and certainly how to do the things in a way that minimizes damage to civil infrastructure. and of course, civilian lives.
The president discussed the workers’ deaths with a small group of Muslim community leaders at the White House on Tuesday, according to one of the participants. Some of the participants were doctors who spent time in Gaza and witnessed the plight of Palestinian civilians. One of them, CNN reported, left the meeting early in a show of protest.
“The president has expressed that this is a very difficult situation and that he would like to see an end to this war,” said Salima Suswell, founder of the Black Muslim Leadership Council. “The conversation was difficult at times. »
Asked about Biden accusing Israel of failing to protect civilians and aid workers in his statement, a senior adviser to the president told CNN: “That’s what he meant.” »
Israel said it would investigate why aid workers’ vehicles were hit by Israeli airstrikes, and Biden called for the investigation to be “swift” and “holding accountability.”
Asked by CNN whether the White House still supports the way Israel is pursuing the war, given the deaths of aid workers and Biden’s outrage, Kirby said the administration has been clear and public over her objections, but that she would not go so far as to withdraw. his support.
“I want to make it clear that while we disagree with some aspects of how operations are being conducted, including saying frankly and publicly, we do not support a ground operation in Rafah. We also continue to believe and act based on the conviction that Israel has the right to defend itself against the still viable threat of Hamas,” Kirby said.
